Tuesday, March 31, 2015, 3:51 p.m.

Ousted Thai premier indicted over rice subsidy scheme

BANGKOK — Thailand's anti-graft commission indicted ousted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Thursday on charges of dereliction of duty in overseeing a widely criticized rice subsidy program, a day after a court forced her from office.

Yingluck was accused of allowing the rice program, a flagship policy of her administration, to proceed despite advice that it was potentially wasteful and prone to corruption.

The government lost billions of dollars on the rice subsidy plan, which also cost Thailand its position as the world's leading rice exporter as the artificially high prices forced the government to stockpile the commodity.

National Anti-Corruption Commission chief Panthep Klanarongran said the commissioners voted unanimously that there were enough grounds to indict Yingluck.